


Dance With Me

by itsmadeofgold



Series: Gogo!AU [1]
Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: Kradam, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-24
Updated: 2011-02-24
Packaged: 2017-10-15 22:18:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/165410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmadeofgold/pseuds/itsmadeofgold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kradam AU wherein Adam is a gogo dancer.  One night, Kris wanders into his club.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dance With Me

The first time Kris went to The Park, he was just following some friends on their hunt for a fun Saturday night. The girls liked to go dancing, and they had seemed to have had some kind of group epiphany that they should start doing it at gay clubs. The more they talked about it, the more excited they'd gotten at the idea of being able to shake their asses to their hearts’ content without having to worry about some slimy douchebag grinding up against them. They always liked to bring Kris along when they went on outings like this (it seemed to make them feel safer to have a guy along when they were getting crazy), and they decided that just because the uninvited grinding quotient was likely to be low at this new bar it was no reason to leave their wingman behind. Kris was exactly the kind of cute (but not intimidatingly so) and fun (but super laid-back) guy that girls like to be friends with, and he’d always been one of those guys with more girl friends than guy friends. And since all that was required of him on these girls’ nights out was to sit at the bar and sip drinks while keeping an eye on them and occasionally waving and smiling, it was no hardship for him. They were always good for a laugh when they were drunk, but they never tried to make him dance. He really didn’t mind, gay bar or no gay bar.

The Park had gogo dancers, and he didn’t pay them any particular attention at first. He was a little embarrassed for the guys, honestly. I mean, really? This is how they make their living? The thought of wiggling his butt in tiny shorts for tips was second-hand mortifying, so he kept his eyes on the floor as he walked by the four dancing platforms at the front of the bar. But after his second drink and the fourth oontz-oontz-oontz song, he got tired of watching the girls and his eyes wandered.

When he saw the dancer nearest the door, he sucked his breath in and was suddenly full of disbelief (and something else – regret?) that he’d been in the same room with him for half an hour and not even noticed him. It seemed a crime and a waste.

He was wearing so little it was hardly worth noticing (but what there was of it was black leather), and was covered from head to toe in a subtle but distinct spray of freckles. He was neither as thin nor as cut as you might expect a gogo dancer to be, yet everything about him seemed to scream beauty and confidence. His eyes were closed and he was dancing as though he were the only person in the room; he moved with the smooth and fluid rhythm of a person who both loves dancing and knows he looks good doing it. His hair was black and asymmetrical, covering one eye. There was a streak of color in it; it looked blue when he moved one way, green when he turned another. _Is it green or blue?_ Kris was immediately desperate to know.

More than a few moments passed before Kris realized his mouth was open and he was outright staring. Just as he was attempting to shake it off and look away, the dancer opened his eyes and Kris was lost again. He hadn't expected them to be blue. He hadn’t even realized he'd been wondering until the answer was in front of him. With hair that dark he had assumed they’d be brown, or maybe hazel or even green, but the shocking clear blue surprised him and knocked the breath out of him all over again. And then the light shifted a little and Kris thought, oh wait, they’re gray. No, clear blue. Light gray. _Which?_ Another mystery, another question he needed answered in the worst way.

A new song started, and the change in beat and in the dancer’s rhythm shocked Kris back into himself and he gave himself a shake and finished off his drink in one gulp. He looked back over at the girls, and saw that they were heading his way, laughing and holding onto each other as they came.

“OK,” Anna half-shouted over the music. “I think we’re ready to take off.”

“Already?” asked Kris, suddenly feeling panicked.

“There are a whole bunch of clubs on this block, we want to check them all out,” she answered. “That dude over there said The Copa has Jell-O shots, so we’re going to head over there. Next door.”

Kris tried to think of a reason why they had to stay at The Park, but “I’m suddenly and weirdly obsessed with that gogo dancer,” seemed inappropriate and, really, what reason could a straight guy have for preferring one gay bar over another, especially when he’d only ever been to one? He let himself be led out, allowing himself one last glance at the dancer as he passed him. He vaguely hoped he would look down at him as he went by, but he didn’t.

On Tuesday, Kris came back by himself. His car just seemed to drive itself to the bar, like his mind and body were ganging up to tell him he couldn’t ignore this churning curiosity anymore. He'd been doing his best _not_ to think about the dancer and his bizarre reaction to him, but in the end his mind just kept going back there. He felt like he had to figure this thing out or he'd go crazy. He had to see him again.

He was crushed when he walked into the bar and saw four unfamiliar faces on the gogo platforms.

These boys were the ones he had imagined as he’d first shuffled in on Saturday – bored-looking, predictably handsome, completely uninteresting and kind of sad. He really wasn’t into guys after all, so there was no reason for any of them to be alluring to him. They were just guys who got paid to shake their asses at a bar. They weren’t _his dancer._

He ordered a drink anyway and wasn’t sure why; he knew it made more sense to just turn and walk back out when he saw that what he was looking for wasn’t there. He sat at the bar and drank though, and started wondering about himself. Since Saturday, he’d been battling the memory of this mystery man with the maybe-blue, maybe-green streak in his hair. He’d thought about his freckles. He’d wondered about his eyes. He’d even started wondering his name, where he came from, if he had any brothers and sisters. Why and how he found himself gogo dancing at The Park on a Saturday night. He wanted to know him. He’d also imagined kissing him once, but that’s as far as he’d gotten. He had been afraid to think further than that, careful in his obsession not to bring on more cognitive dissonance than he felt prepared to handle.

Now, though, back at the bar and alone, he finally started wondering what all of this meant about him. If there was something about himself he had been ignoring all his life, or whether this was some kind of aberration. He had never really considered men in this way before, and none had particularly caught his eye so it seemed pretty obvious that he was straight. So obvious that he’d never questioned it. He dated girls. He slept with girls. He was mostly friends with girls. His life was very female-oriented, now that he really thought about it.

 _So what does this mean, then?_ he wondered. In his mind, he saw a brief flash of himself standing at the base of the dancer’s platform looking up at him, and then the dancer looks down at him and smiles. He holds his hand out to him, as though he wants to help Kris climb up and dance with him, and when Kris’s hand touches the dancer’s in this flash of fantasy, he feels his face heating with blush and his heart splutters into triple-time.

 _I guess that answers that question,_ he thought. _It means I’m interested in_ this guy. _It’s as simple and as utterly fucking confusing as that._

He went back the following Saturday, again by himself. He wasn’t sure what the girls had planned for that night and frankly didn’t care – this trip had been on his agenda since Tuesday. Since last Saturday.

His dancer was there. This time instead of sitting at the bar, Kris chose a table against the wall opposite the dancer's platform. This way he could look at him without having to turn his head, and he hoped that would make it less obvious that he was staring; he'd never had much of a poker face, and the best he could hope for was that nobody would notice his ogling. It was funny, though: he didn't feel nearly as embarrassed about that as he would've expected. So, yeah, he was sitting alone in a gay bar staring at a mostly-naked male dancer on a platform. If somebody had told him he'd be doing this two weeks ago, he would have asked them if they felt OK or needed a doctor. But if Kris-now had a chance to talk to Kris-two-weeks-ago about it, he would say "yeah, but you haven't _seen_ this guy. You don't even know."

The dancer was wearing these tight little shiny silver shorts tonight, and was covered from head to toe in a shower of silver glitter. His hair was different tonight, too, Kris noticed: slicked back in a dramatic pompadour, with what looked like glitter gel streaking through it. He couldn't even see the maybe-green, maybe-blue streak with the way it was styled. Kris thought he liked his hair better down, but at the same time he was glad to be able to see more of his face. He also really liked the glitter, he had to admit.

So quickly he didn't have time to stop the thought from bubbling up, he was imagining himself and the dancer tangled up together, skin on skin, glitter all over them both. He heard himself laughing through kisses at the mess they were making of themselves, glitter raining off of the dancer's eyeslashes and onto his cheek; then the dream changed to show him the two of them in the shower together, trying to rinse the glitter off of each other but getting distracted...

Kris realized his stupid mouth was hanging open again and shook his head sharply. _Jesus Christ_ , he thought. _Is this really my life now?_ He was trying to decide whether to just go home and try to get over this weird infatuation and get on with his life (and what his next move should be if he didn't do that) when his eyes zeroed back in on his dancer.

He was looking directly back at him, and Kris stopped breathing.

Those hypnotic are-they-blue-or-are-they-gray eyes were burning right into his own warm brown ones, and the plump, pink lips of the dancer were curled into a smirk of amused recognition. The song that was playing now was a sexier, silkier groove than the usual pounding dance club jam, and the dancer continued to stare right into Kris's eyes as he slithered and swayed on his platform. He kept his eyes locked on Kris's as he threw his shoulders back and began rolling his body, painfully slow and sexy, arching his back and ending with a seductive pop of his hips. Kris felt dizzy and realized he was still not breathing; he let his breath out in one bewildered gust and the dancer laughed, his smile dazzling and mischievous. He gave Kris a wink, then, and finally looked away, continuing to dance as though he weren't turning a previously down-to-earth man's life upside down with every move.

"His name is Adam," Kris was startled by the voice coming from directly to his right; he hadn't even noticed the man standing right next to him, and with the way his heart was hammering now he wasn't sure he felt up for small talk. He gave him a brief, irritated glance before turning back to the dancer.

"What?" Kris answered finally, when the man didn't move. The truth was, though, he had heard him perfectly well and was holding himself back by force of will from saying the name out loud, just to taste it in his mouth.

"Adam," the man said again. "You're not being very subtle."

Kris finally tore his eyes away from the object of his fascination long enough to get a good look at the man beside him. He was average-looking, Kris guessed, though he'd never really been much for sizing up the relative attractiveness of men before. Brown hair. Just a guy.

"And how do you know him?" Kris asked, cringing internally at the touch of defensiveness to his voice.

"I'm his boss," he replied. "I own this bar. Oh, and I'm also his brother."

"His brother?" Kris repeated. "You don't look much alike."

"No, I guess we don't. If what you mean is that he's so beautiful you can't stop gazing longingly at him, and yet you are unable to even look me in the face while you talk to me." Kris looked back over at him then, blushing, and saw him smirking.

"Sorry," Kris said. "I can't really explain it."

"You're not gay," he said. It was not a question.

"No," Kris said with some hesitation.

"And you don't seem especially creepy. You were here with those girls last week, right?"

"OK, now you sound a little creepy. Do you keep track of everybody who comes into your bar?"

"No," he said, still smirking. "But like I said, non-creepy straight guy with a group of girls. Stands out in a place like this, you know? On a Saturday night? I guessed what was going on when I saw you crying into your mojito on Tuesday."

"I wasn't crying!" Kris hissed, eyes wide with shock and chagrin. He hadn't been subtle at _all_ , he now realized.

"Adam has that effect on people," He continued, lowering his voice. "You're not the first guy to come back just for him. Not even the first straight guy to come back just for him. Why do you think he's up there? You paid for that drink, right?"

Kris nodded, then looked down. There was a pause; Kris knew exactly what he wanted to say, but it took a few seconds to get his mouth to spit the words out.

"What usually happens when guys come back for him?" He said finally, as quietly as he could and still be heard over the thumping music.

He smiled, a bit indulgently, Kris thought. "Sometimes," he said. "They get what they came for, but it's never what they expected. More often, though, they go home disappointed."

Kris nodded again, not sure what else there was to say. He turned back to look at the dancer's platform and saw him climbing down off of it, smiling at a girl in a glittery dress looking up at him from the bottom. Just exchanging pleasantries, it looked like. Kris didn't take the time to register what was happening in his admiration of the dancer's smile, the way his eyes crinkled and you could see sincerity radiating from him. The dancer hopped down onto the floor and began striding in Kris's direction, his eyes on the man standing next to him. His brother.

"Oh, perfect!" he said, and Kris couldn't be sure whether he detected sarcasm there or not. "Adam's taking his break." Kris's mouth started wagging like it wanted to say something, but no sound came out. He just managed to close it in time for Adam to arrive at his table and clap his brother on the shoulder. Kris wondered how badly he was blushing, where he should be looking, and when exactly he had metamorphosed into a fourteen year-old girl.

"Neil," Adam said, and Kris looked up and over at the man standing beside him, just now realizing he'd never told him his name.

"Hey," Neil replied, smiling at Adam and then glancing back over at Kris. "Yeah, sorry, my name is Neil. I should've introduced myself earlier. This is Adam, and Adam this is..."

"Kris," Kris said in a voice just a pitch or two above the one he'd been aiming at. "Nice to meet you."

"I think we've met," Adam said, smiling. "At least, I tried to introduce myself earlier. I thought you saw me?"

Kris's mouth dropped open as he tried to think of something, anything to say in response. He felt like his brain was short-circuiting, sure that smoke was coming out of his ears. Was Adam really flirting with him? He hadn't been thinking very far ahead in this whole thing, but he was pretty sure if he had he would never have imagined this scenerio. When he finally spoke, he wished he hadn't.

"I saw you," was all he said, blushing fiercely and fidgeting with his shirt but unable to pull his eyes away from Adam's. Adam was looking back at him with a small smile and Kris thought he looked amused, but also curious. He broke his eyes away from Kris's after a long moment, subtly running them once over Kris's body before moving back up to Neil's face.

"I'm taking the rest of the night off," he said simply.

"What?" Neil said. "You're going to leave me with an empty spot on a Saturday? Come on, Adam, it isn't even eleven yet. Give me a break."

"I don't have to do this if I don't want to, you know," Adam said, waving one hand and sending a light sprinkle of glitter showering down onto the table. Kris saw a few flecks land on his hand and remembered his earlier daydream with a shiver. "I'm still feeling shitty from last night, and I'm just not into it. Lay off me, Neil. I don't need this."

"Next time you choose a look that's going to coat the bathtub in glitter for a week, at least try to make it through your shift, OK?" Neil said huffily before turning and walking away. Adam watched him go for a moment before turning back to Kris.

"Let's go," he said, and Kris blinked.

"What?"

Adam smiled and pulled Kris to his feet, leading him by the elbow toward the back of the club. "Let's _go_ ," he repeated, leaning over to say the words, silkily, right into Kris's ear as they made their way through the crowd, across the dance floor, and to a discreet door partially hidden by the shadow of the DJ booth. Adam led Kris through and into a narrow hallway, then through another door into a small dressing room. There was a worn black couch against one wall, and a small lighted vanity against another, littered with hair products, makeup and, most notably to Kris, a half-empty jar of silver glitter standing open. On the wall opposite the couch hung a large floor-to-ceiling mirror. The rest of the available wallspace was covered with posters and magazine clippings, most seeming to have to do with music.

Adam closed the door behind him, then turned and looked at Kris before suddenly laughing and giving himself a good shake, shimmying from head to toe. Glitter came off of him in clouds and rained lazily onto the wooden floor.

"Neil hates it when I wear glitter," he said, laughing. "It's a nightmare to clean up. And it really is a bitch to get out of the bathtub. But come on," he gave his arms another shake and watched the glitter shower around him. "How cool is this?"

Kris was standing in the middle of the room with absolutely no clue how to respond to this man or what he should be doing. He had spoken maybe three strangled sentences to Adam total, and couldn't for the life of him think of a reason for Adam to show any interest in him. And Kris had no idea exactly what Adam's interest was, why he'd been brought here, or if he was ready for what would come next; at the same time, part of him felt not only ready but eager for what he hoped and feared was coming. He was a swirling mess inside, and Adam was looking at him like it was his turn to say something. He searched his mind for something appropriate to say, and when he came up empty he let out a nervous laugh.

"Are you OK?" Adam said, taking a step toward Kris.

"Yeah," Kris said hoarsely. "But I have no idea what's going on right now. Want to tell me?"

Adam's next step took him to Kris's side. He took Kris's arm as he had in the club and directed him to sit on the couch, taking a seat beside him.

"I saw you looking at me," Adam said. "And you're cute. And you seem nice. You blushed when I talked to you, it was adorable. I had a rough night last night and didn't feel like dancing anymore, so I thought I'd investigate you instead. Is that OK?"

"Investigate?"

"Yeah," Adam smiled, reaching out to take hold of Kris's hand. "Is that OK?" he asked again, turning Kris's hand over and tracing the inside of his arm from his wrist to his elbow with one long finger. Kris closed his eyes and tried to keep himself from shivering under Adam's touch.

"Yeah," he said. "That's OK. Except..."

"Except you've never been with a guy before?" Adam finished for him with a grin, and Kris gaped.

"That obvious?"

"It's very obvious. However, luckily for me - and, frankly, for you - it's also pretty obvious that you're open to the idea. I brought you back here because I assumed you were interested in spending time with me. If you're uncomfortable, it won't hurt my feelings if you go. I'm not trying to take advantage of you or anything," he smirked a little. "I'm not a monster. I'm actually very, very nice." At the last sentence he moved his hand up from Kris's arm to rest it on the side of his neck, tilting his head as he watched Kris respond to this touch. Kris's eyes fluttered shut and he licked his lips; Adam could feel Kris's pulse quicken under his hand. He chuckled. "So I'm going to take it that you're staying, then?"

Kris opened his eyes. "I think so," he said, the look of mingled panic and want on his face mellowing a little, finally allowing him to smile, albeit nervously. "I think I kind of need to... investigate you, too. But I don't... I mean, I don't know how to do that."

Adam regarded Kris thoughtfully for a moment with a look that Kris thought bordered on concern before finally saying, "OK, I have an idea. Let's take this slow, OK? You like me, right?"

"I don't really know you," Kris said, and immediately regretted it when Adam rolled his eyes.

"Well, OK. You're _attracted_ to me, right? Don't say no, I saw you looking at me."

"Yes," Kris was surprised how easy that was to say. How it didn't seem all that strange to him here, now.

"I'm attracted to you, too," Adam said gently, reminding Kris vaguely of the tone you might use when trying to coax a deer to eat out of your hand, all the while afraid that it might bolt instead. He leaned forward slowly, hand still resting softly on the side of Kris's neck, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on Kris's jaw. Kris felt momentarily wild when he realized Adam was about to kiss him, but at the last moment Adam veered to the right and planted his lips on Kris's cheek softly, lingering there for a moment. Then he turned his head so his cheek was resting against Kris's, and Kris could feel Adam's breath against his ear as he spoke. "So, do you want to hear my idea?"

"Yes," Kris said breathlessly, realizing that the question could've been "will you give me your wallet?" and the answer would've been the same. He felt helpless, and the helplessness was somehow equally exhilarating and terrifying. It felt like that moment when you reach the top of a roller coaster; looking down, being afraid and excited and a little bit nauseous and wondering why you put yourself through this, knowing you love it even while you're terrified, and knowing that regardless of your mixed emotions there's no getting out now.

"My idea is that we take turns in our investigation," Adam said, pulling away but leaving his hand on Kris's neck. "You want to get to know me? Use your turn to ask me questions. I'll answer anything. I might be a little more hands-on in my turn, though, if that's OK with you," he saw Kris flush and smiled brightly.

"Who goes first?" Kris asked.

"Who would _you_ like to go first?"

"Uh," Kris said, afraid to answer. He knew one answer was cowardice, but the other was more than he could contemplate right now. He was still having trouble processing the feeling of Adam's hand on his neck. "I guess I'll go," he finally said, embarrassed. Adam clucked his tongue teasingly, then leaned back against the armrest, knitting his hands behind his head. He brought his feet up and rested them on Kris's lap.

"Alright then," he said. "You've got five minutes until it's my turn. Shoot."

Kris was at a loss for a moment, just looking at Adam's smirking face, with one eyebrow arched as if to say "bring it on," or "I'm waiting," and then he realized he'd never really thought about the relative expressiveness of people's eyebrows before, but now that he thought about it Adam's were _especially_ expressive. He mused that it might be possible to have a full conversation with Adam using nothing but eyebrow cues. Maybe that's part of what made him such a great gogo dancer, Kris thought: he could say everything he needed to without speaking, using just his body language and facial expressions. Men could watch him and hear what they wanted to hear from him, and all he had to do was put on a sexy sneer or arch a brow or pop his hips.

"Kris?" Adam said, interrupting his rambling thoughts.

"Sorry, sorry," Kris said, blushing again. "My mind wandered." Adam laughed. "OK. Where are you from?"

"Really? You're going to waste your precious five minutes on that? Tsk."

"Sorry, I'm having a hard time making my brain, like, form thoughts at the moment. I'll get better." Adam smiled at him, and it was the this intriguing combination of sympathetic and mischievous. Just the exact smile Kris needed to see, and he felt some of the tension leave his body. He smiled in return, trying to convey gratitude and some mischief of his own. He had a feeling he wasn't going to be able to feel nervous much longer. Adam was doing a good job making him feel at ease. But then, it was still Kris's turn; this was the easy part.

"I'm from San Diego," Adam said. "You've still got lots of time if you want to try to redeem yourself."

"Why was last night hard on you?" Kris asked, and watched Adam's face brighten.

"I love a boy who pays attention!" he almost squealed, sitting up but leaving his feet in Kris's lap. "I went to this party, right? With a bunch of friends. Some of my exes were there, which wasn't great, but that's a whole 'nuther story on its own, and my girlfriends were being super clingy for some reason and the one guy I was actually hoping to see there never even showed up. The party was really shitty overall, and I could not for the life of me find a way to ditch Megan and all she wanted to do was cockblock me to complain about her stupid boyfriend not calling her or not calling her enough or whatever her problem was, and then the bitch actually _puked_ in my car on the way home. And could she clean that shit up? Oh, noooo, of course not. She wasn't too drunk to aim _away_ from her Louis Vuitton bag, which happened to be right next to the handily open _window_ , but she was of course much too drunk to clean up her own damn mess, so there my happy ass was at four in the morning sopping up somebody else's puke from my floorboards, and it wasn't even somebody I had fucked or was hoping to fuck. Just me and disgusting girl-puke towels. Not my idea of a rocking Friday night. Then I wake up this afternoon feeling like ass and she's still passed out on my couch, and the whole damn living room smells like puke and booze, and then I had to take my stupid car in to be cleaned." He threw his hands up in exasperation.

"At least it wasn't all for nothing," Kris said. "Girl Puke Towels would make a great band name."

Adam giggled, a look of delighted surprise on his face. "I didn't know you were funny, too. Funny and cute with an adorable blush. I think this weekend just might redeem itself." Kris laughed with him, relaxing further and feeling a bit giddy.

"Do I have time for one more question?" he asked.

"One more," Adam said, still smiling.

"Why do you dance?"

"That's a big question," Adam said. "I think it would take you over your time limit."

"Just trying to keep things interesting. I didn't think you'd like it if I asked something mundane like your sign."

"I'm an Aquarius," Adam said, swinging his feet down off of Kris's lap and leaning in toward him. "And your time is up. My turn."

Kris gulped. He couldn't believe it, he was like every bumbling character in every sitcom he'd ever seen: he actually _gulped_. Adam was looking at him intensely, his eyes gray and sparkling. As Kris watched, Adam wet his lips and moved in closer, finally leaning in to place a small but firm kiss just above Kris's collarbone. Kris's back arched involuntarily, and he gasped.

"Oh," Adam said. "You are too wound-up, honey. I might have to use this turn to loosen you up. Take off your shirt."

Kris stared at him blankly, mouth open. "I'm sorry?"

"I guess I can do it for you," Adam purred, beginning to unsnap the buttons on Kris's plaid shirt. "Hmmm... easy access. I guess I never gave this western look enough credit."

Kris allowed Adam to push his shirt back over his shoulders when he'd gotten it open, then raised his arms obligingly so Adam could lift off the white tank top he'd been wearing underneath. He decided that maybe question time was the right place for talking; maybe it would just be better to stay quiet during Adam's turn. It was time to just _go with it_. He had a feeling that Adam didn't have anything in mind that Kris wouldn't enjoy.

"OK, turn around. Sit on the floor," Adam said once Kris was half-naked. Kris didn't move, so Adam said, "I'm going to rub your shoulders. You need to relax. You're all... bunchy."

"Bunchy?"

"Exactly. Now sit. I have some good smelling massage stuff and candles and everything. You are going to love this. Best five minutes ever. Sit." Adam indicated the spot on the floor between his legs, one eyebrow hitched up as if to say "I dare you to argue with me about this." Kris slid off the couch and nestled between Adam's glittery knees while Adam quickly pulled two small candles from a drawer in the side table and lit them. He leaned across to the vanity and grabbed a small green lotion bottle, then set to work.

To say that Adam's hands felt good would be a gross understatement. The moment he started kneading Kris's shoulders, Kris let his head fall back and relaxed into his spot between Adam's legs. He _had_ been tense. This _was_ exactly what he needed. The candles had some kind of vanilla-y, nature-y smell that Kris enjoyed, and the massage lotion felt silky and smelled like jasmine. The whole combination was nothing but good. He felt his muscles unknotting themselves under Adam's strong fingers, and had to consciously will himself not to make sex noises out loud, because he was enjoying himself so much his body just didn't know how else to show it.

He opened his eyes and saw glitter falling; it was raining down on him from Adam's arms, shoulders and hair as he moved above Kris. Looking down, Kris saw that his chest and shoulders were freckled with it. A grin spread across Kris's face as he really realized, suddenly, that he was sitting barechested between the thighs of the beautiful creature he had come here for, getting rubbed down. He had driven to this club with the intention of trying not to look creepy in an obvious kind of way as he watched this man, and now here he was, with silver glitter showering down on him and the dancer's breath a steady rhythm behind him. He was somehow, now, the dancer's cute, funny boy with an adorable blush. He sighed, feeling a bit like an adolescent girl again. He heard Adam chuckle softly behind him.

"So," Adam said. "Do you mind talking, or do you want this to be a silent rubdown?"

"It's your turn," Kris said, eyes closed. "You tell me."

"Well, I am kind of curious about you, now that you mention it," Adam said. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Are you scared?"

Kris's eyes popped open. "What do you mean? Scared of what?"

"Of this," Adam said. "I mean, the first time I realized that it was weird that I liked boys, it freaked me out. If I had thought my whole life I only liked girls and suddenly... or maybe it's not like that. Maybe this isn't a surprise for you. That's what I'm wondering. What is it, Kris?"

"I'm not scared," Kris said, turning his head, trying to make eye contact. He was surprised at this sudden vulnerability, he hadn't suspected it was there. Now that he saw it, though, it made perfect sense, too. "I'm nervous. I don't want to be... disappointing. I don't really know what I'm doing, but I hope whatever it is that it's... good. For you." He felt like such an idiot, but he kept on talking anyway; Adam seemed to want it. "I've never been attracted to a guy before, but I'd never really thought about it, you know? It freaked me out, at first, yeah. I was surprised. I didn't understand it. I still don't, really. But I've decided to go with it. I like you."

"You don't _know_ me," Adam said; Kris could just see his lopsided smile out of the corner of his eye.

"But I want to," Kris said.

Adam continued rubbing Kris's shoulders in silence for a moment before Kris murmured, "Your time is up." He turned around to face Adam, kneeling in front of him, his hands on Adam's knees. "Thank you," Kris said. "That was the best five minutes ever, you were right."

Adam gave him a beaming smile that bordered on gleeful, and Kris felt warm realizing that he had made Adam happy.

"OK, your turn!" Adam said. "Do you mind asking your questions while I change?"

Kris got up and sat on the couch. "Let's call this an interlude," he said. "I want your full attention while I'm investigating you. But feel free to get comfy." He leaned back, flinging an arm over the back of the couch and giving Adam a lazy smile.

"Well, you definitely seem more relaxed," Adam said with a laugh, getting up and opening the closet.

"The good smelling stuff and candles seem to have done the trick," Kris said, and when Adam looked back at him, Kris gave him a wink. He was starting to feel very loose indeed. Adam turned back to the closet and pulled out a dark gray t-shirt.

"What's this?" Kris said. "You've got me shirtless and now you're putting on a shirt?" Adam laughed as he pulled the shirt over his head.

"Yep," he said. "I'm gonna put some pants on, too, you gotta problem with that?"

"I guess not," Kris said, pouting.

"I just realized I was still wearing my stupid gogo shorts, and I don't want to be that guy right now," Adam said. "Also, it's more for you to take off me later, so don't fret." This time Adam winked at Kris, then he pulled a pair of black jeans out of the closet with one hand, unbuttoning his shorts with the other. Kris immediately dropped his eyes to the floor. "Not gonna watch?" Adam said. Kris looked back up, meeting Adam's eyes, seeing a hint of a challenge there.

"Do you want me to watch?"

Adam didn't answer, he just pushed his shorts down to his knees, then stepped out of them, keeping his eyes on Kris the whole time. Kris struggled to maintain eye contact but couldn't contain his curiosity; his eyes fell downward and he sucked in his breath when he saw Adam's erection standing straight up, bigger than he expected and somehow... beautiful? He also felt his own begin to throb, which surprised him somehow. He had thought maybe seeing Adam naked would break the spell, would knock him back into the reality where he was just your average straight guy, but it hadn't at all. Kris wanted that. He looked back up at Adam's face and saw the swell of want bubbling up in him mirrored there. After a moment Adam blinked, then began pulling on his jeans.

"Aw, really?" Kris said.

"Yes, really," Adam said with a grin. "I don't want to scare you away. We can take our time, yes? Got any other plans for tonight?"

"No," Kris said. "I was actually hoping to just stay here in this dingy little room with you all night."

"Good. So, pants for now. But it's your turn, and then I get to go, and then you again. Who knows when the pants-coming-off turn will come? Adds to the excitement, don't you think?" Zip.

"I love investigating," Kris said. "I think I may decide to become a private eye after this."

"Maybe we could start an agency together," Adam said, flopping down on the sofa beside Kris and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Good idea," Kris said. "OK. It's my turn. Are you ready?"

Adam dropped his voice down to a growl when he said "Ready and willing," and Kris cursed himself internally when he actually gulped again.

"OK," Kris said, heart racing. "I still want to talk, but..."

"But?"

"But I had a topic in mind."

"Your turn, your topic. Lay it on me."

"I want you to tell me what you're thinking. About me." He blushed. Adam scooted in closer to him and put a hand on Kris's jeaned knee.

"That's easy," Adam said with a warm smile. "I like you."

"Is that all?" Kris said, not entirely sure what he was going for, but knowing he needed more than that.

"No, that's not all," Adam said. "You want total honesty?"

"Of course. You told me that's what I'd get."

"OK, here's what I'm thinking about you. I think you're ridiculously attractive, and it's because you have this totally unexpected mixture of cute and sexy going on and it is always catching me off-guard the way you switch back and forth from one to the other but, at the same time, that's so awesome I can hardly stand it. I like your voice. I love your eyes. I like the way you laugh. I am thrilled that you have your shirt off. I'm wondering what you'll look like when you have your pants off, too. But I also want to ask you more questions, because I'm wondering where you're from, and what you do and where you go when you're not in strangers' dressing rooms... and I'm a little bit confused about why I care about that. Seeing my glitter all over your chest is so hot I can't even describe it. Every time you blush I feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest, you are that fucking cute. And I'm wondering what your face will look like when I make you come. I'm thinking a lot about you." He paused, watching Kris's eyebrows go up as a look of bewildered shock crossed his face. "Does that answer your question?" Adam finished quietly.

"Yes," Kris whispered. And then: "More."

Adam cocked an eyebrow at Kris, who was looking at him with a new intensity, the shock totally gone from his face and replaced now with fire. Adam's breath caught in his throat.

"I'm wondering what you taste like," he continued in a low, rough voice. "I'm thinking about running my tongue along your collarbone, and wondering what kind of reaction that would get. I'm thinking about sucking on your neck, biting it a little bit. Marking you. I'm wondering what kind of noise you would make if I did that. I'm thinking about taking your pants off, and I'm thinking about all your skin, how I want to touch and lick and bite every inch." Adam was leaning in, moving closer to Kris with every breath, until they were almost nose-to-nose. Kris was flushed and breathing hard.

"I'm thinking about swallowing your cock, and sucking you until you scream," Adam continued in a low growl. "Fuck. Is it my turn yet?"

"Your turn," Kris said, licking his lips. And then Adam was on him.

Kris sank back into the couch with a groan as Adam kissed him fiercely, one hand on Kris's neck. When Adam began running his free hand down Kris's body, he arched up into him, begging to be touched. Adam moaned into Kris's mouth as his hand found the bulge of his jeans. When Adam tightened his grip there, Kris ground up into his hand, mewling, and he could feel Adam's smiling into their kiss. Smug at making him mew like a kitten, Kris guessed, smiling himself as he caught Adam's lower lip in his teeth with a growl. Adam growled back, then began moving down Kris's body, stopping to bite Kris's neck - making Kris moan and shudder beneath him - before leaving a trail of wet kisses down his bare chest and stomach.

Adam wasted no time getting Kris's pants and boxers off, and before Kris could get another breath, Adam swallowed him. Kris let out a strangled groan as he arched his back and writhed, digging his hands into Adam's hair, holding on for dear life as his every nerve ending seemed to ignite. Adam had unbuttoned his pants and was stroking himself, eyes angled up to watch Kris's face as he panted and squirmed; he moaned around Kris's cock.

The sound that tore out of Kris when he came was a surprise to both men. It was a mingled scream and sob that was equal parts joy and pain; hearing it startled Kris, and made Adam feel both powerful and powerless. He felt light-headed as he came with a soft cry, shaking, still swallowing all Kris gave him.

Adam crawled up Kris's body and snuggled in beside him, taking Kris into his arms with a wavering sigh. He kissed Kris's cheek.

"I don't think I even went over my time," Adam said.

"Yeah," Kris said shakily. "Sorry about that."

"Are you kidding? I don't know if you noticed, but we're going to have to wetvac the other end of the couch. I'll count that as your turn."

Kris grinned. "Why my turn? It's your mess."

"Because it's not right to be so hot that you make other people come from sucking your dick. You should have to pay something in return for that gift." He took a nip at Kris's ear when Kris giggled.

"OK, it's my turn now, yes?" Kris said.

"Please tell me you want to do naked cuddle-time questions."

"Absolutely. And since I'm just starting, we should have plenty of time for you to tell me about dancing."

"Oh, alright," Adam said, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "I dance because I can, I guess. Because I like it. I've been doing it for a long time, but it's more a _hobby_ than a job. I actually have a lot of money. Neil and I both do; our granfather invented something, I'll tell you about it sometime. Anyway, I started dancing here years ago, mostly on a lark. I used to just go out dancing, you know, at clubs with my friends and stuff and I always got a lot of attention and loved it, but the first time I climbed up on the platform and got a tip, I was hooked. I liked getting tips. I never keep them, I always just give them to the bartenders, but it's like the way I keep score. I always liked having boys look at me, getting people hot. I guess I'm an exhibitionist."

"So you just dance here because Neil owns it?" Kris asked.

"No," Adam said. "He just bought it a few years ago. He'd been bored and looking for a project, the previous owner was looking to get out, and I was worried I'd lose my gig if somebody else bought it and decided they didn't want gogo dancers in their bar. Luckily for me, Neil was up for buying a gay bar to do his brother a favor."

"Why didn't you just buy it?"

"Oh no," Adam said. "I wanted nothing to do with any of that. I just wanted to get half naked, put on makeup, and experiment with different ways to turn guys on from up on a pedestal. That's _my_ thing. Not paying bills and dealing with waitress drama and fire code inspections. That's way more Neil's thing. And he's been enjoying it, too. He's good at it."

"That's good," Kris said, then couldn't think of anything else to say, so he lay in Adam's arms and considered Adam, all these years, dancing at The Park and hypnotizing men because he could. He remembered thinking at first that gogo dancing was degrading, and yet here Adam was doing it for the power of it. Because he could call men to him with a swish of his hips, and they'd open their wallets for the privilege of getting to see him do it. He wondered how many men had come back to this bar again and again just to see Adam dance.

"Adam?" Kris said, suddenly breaking the silence.

"Hmmm?" Adam said, eyes closed.

"I have a question. Don't get mad."

"You can ask me anything you want, that's the deal."

Kris lay there for for a few more seconds before speaking, glad Adam didn't have a good view of his face. He was blushing again. "Have you brought many guys back here?"

Adam opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbow, pulling on Kris's shoulder with his other hand, directing him to turn and look him in the face. "You asked for complete honesty," he said.

"Yes," Kris said, sitting up.

"Yeah, I have," Adam said. "I've brought a lot of guys back here. Some guys come in here and decide they like me, and they start sending me drinks and making their play right away. Others come back a few times and build up their courage. Sometimes there's the occasional shy guy I have to move on after I've seen him watching me a few weekends in a row. I never have a shortage of options."

Kris held eye-contact throughout, but his expression darkened. He noticed that Adam's eyes looked blue now. He wasn't sure how he felt, and couldn't think of anything to say.

"Does that freak you out?" Adam asked, finally.

"Not really," Kris said, and it only felt like half a lie. "That's kind of what I expected."

"OK, good, because I don't want to talk about that anymore and - hooray! - I don't have to. Your time is up. Put your pants on."

"It's your turn and you want me to put my pants _on_?" Said Kris.

"I think I'm entitled to a non-sex turn after my excellent performance in the last one, don't you think?" Adam said, standing and turning to face Kris. "And I don't want your nakedness distracting me. Pants."

Kris laughed as he pulled on his jeans and zipped them.

"Do you smoke?" Adam said, opening a drawer in his vanity and rifling through it.

"Uh, cigarettes?" Kris said. "No."

"No, not cigarettes," Adam said, turning and holding a baggie out to Kris.

"Oh, yes!" Kris said. "I hope you've got snacks stashed somewhere around here."

"Of course I do," Adam said, sitting on the floor and opening a cigar box on his lap. He pulled a small wooden pipe out of the box and set to work loading it. "I have supplies for any possible eventuality." Kris slid down off the couch to sit next to Adam on the floor, taking the pipe from him. Adam handed over the lighter from the side table, saying, "enjoy."

Kris wasn't what you'd consider a stoner, but he had always liked the easy, relaxed feeling he got from smoking. The way music sounded, the way food tasted. The way he felt more purely himself, more in touch with his senses. He was nervous about ever buying it or keeping it around, but he never said no when it was offered. He lit the pipe, took a long draw and, holding his hit, handed the pipe back to Adam with a nod of thanks. As he exhaled, he watched himself in the mirror. Shirtless, his chest, shoulders and face still flushed and sparkling with silver glitter, he sat completely relaxed, almost limp against the couch. The mark Adam had left on his neck was starting to really bloom, and Kris liked the way it looked. The smoke formed a cloud around him and then dissipated, and he smiled at himself before turning to see Adam watching him with a smile of his own.

"This is a good night," Adam said, exhaling his own cloud and handing the pipe back to Kris.

"It is," Kris agreed. "Did you want to ask me some more questions?" He felt his head start to get just a little fuzzy, the first hit coming on him as he flicked the lighter for his second.

"Yeah," Adam said, scooting over to place his hand on the back of Kris's neck, fingers nestling in the short hair there. "I think it's your turn to tell me what you're thinking about."

"About you?" Kris said, handing the pipe back.

"Yes."

"Um, I am thinking," and then Kris paused, feeling his mind lighten further, letting his inhibitions go. Feeling really good about this but wanting to be sure to get it right. "I am thinking I am really happy right now," he smiled. "I feel so good, I can't describe it. I started out today a confused mess, not knowing what to do with myself, nervous about coming here again and not sure why I felt like I had to come here at all, just knowing that I did. I kind of hated myself for doing it, it felt creepy..."

"You were here before?" Adam said, eyes wide. Kris blinked, had he never mentioned that before? He had thought Adam knew, or maybe he had assumed he did because Neil had. Either way, Kris wasn't sure if he should be embarrassed about it now.

"Uh, yeah, I was here last weekend," he said. "With friends. I saw you, I guess you didn't see me. But after that, I, uh. I came back again. On Tuesday."

"I don't work on Tuesdays," Adam said, his face still blank with disbelief.

"I know," Kris answered. "When you weren't here I just had a drink, felt sorry for myself and went home. But I came back tonight, hoping you worked all Saturdays, and that you hadn't just been a mirage or a fantasy or something."

Adam just stared at Kris for a moment, then handed the pipe to him. The silence continued as Kris took his hit and handed it back to Adam. Finally, Kris said "what are _you_ thinking?"

"I thought you had just seen me tonight and liked me enough to come with me when I asked you," Adam said. "I thought I had gotten lucky to catch you alone, I didn't even think about what you were doing here in the first place. By yourself? Of course, there had to be a reason, I don't know why I didn't think about it." He shook his head. "Wait, why were you talking to Neil?"

"He had seen me the other times I was here," Kris said, more embarrassed now. "He came over to tell me I was being obvious in my ogling." Kris also thought that Neil had been trying to warn him, but he wasn't sure what Adam would think of that and didn't want to risk telling him.

"Wow," Adam said, setting the pipe down in the cigar box. "I just. Wow. You were here for me."

"Yeah," Kris said, and, looking at Adam's incredulous face, felt like he had to elaborate. "I can't believe that that surprises you. You just told me you always have options, that there are guys on all sides begging for you all the time. Why wouldn't I have been here for you? I can't believe everybody isn't here for you, you are that beautiful. I came here just to watch you dance, just like who knows how many other guys before me. When you made eye contact with me while you were dancing, my heart almost stopped and I felt like my entire night was worthwhile, just for that. And yet here I am with you, and I get to kiss you, and you like _me_. It's like a dream for me right now, I can't even tell you. And somehow you are the one who is acting surprised, and I don't get that at all. That's pretty much what I'm thinking about right now." Kris reached out and touched Adam's face, and Adam leaned forward to kiss him softly on the mouth. "It's my turn now, OK?" Kris said against Adam's mouth.

"OK," Adam answered, still kissing.

"OK, then. I want to kiss you."

"Five minutes?"

"Starting now."

They went over their time.

Kris hadn't known there were so many different ways to kiss somebody, or that just kissing could be this good. Light, cute little pecks, soft open-mouth kisses, little teases of tongue flickering leading to the sinful feeling of Adam's tongue in his mouth, sucking it, then moving on to bite, lick and suck Adam's lips, his jaw, his neck, then moving back up to start all over, Adam returning every favor and the beautiful cycle going again and again until the men finally broke apart, lips swollen, faces raw, gasping for breath. Kris fell into Adam, laughing breathlessly, buzzed and giddy, and Adam set about gnawing on Kris's neck again.

"I don't know," Kris said, half-laughing and half sighing as Adam continued to work on his neck. "I liked the blowjob turn a lot. But this one is in contention for best one yet, too, I think."

Adam laughed and moved up to plant a lingering kiss on Kris's mouth before saying, "I guess so. Although, you have pants on now and you were naked for that one, so I think I still have to give the trophy to the blowjob."

"It was a really good one," Kris said, snickering. "I'm not sure if it deserved a trophy, though." Adam laughed and swatted him playfully, standing up.

"Next time we make out, let's not do it on the floor," he said, stretching. Then he leaned over to a minifridge that Kris hadn't even noticed before, nestled on the other side of the vanity. "Do you want a drink? I've got water and Red Bull."

"Water, please," Kris answered. Adam handed him a bottle as he moved to sit on the couch. Adam came around and resumed his earlier position, reclined with his feet in Kris's lap, as he opened his own bottle and took a drink.

"I had a plan for my next turn," Adam said. "But I'm feeling more sitting-on-the-couchy right now than what I had in mind, so I'm torn."

"Oh, had something adventurous planned, did you?" Kris said with a smirk.

"Adventurous for you, maybe," Adam said, sitting up. "New plan. Dance for me, smirky."

"What?"

"You heard me. You've seen me dance, now I want to see you."

Kris gaped at him. "I don't really dance. Like, at all. Ever."

Adam reached over to open another drawer on his vanity and pulled out an iPod and a small set of speakers. After fiddling with the setup for a moment, he said "here we go," and a thumping dance song, not unlike the muffled bass they could hear coming from the bar, filled the room. He turned back to Kris and gave him a gentle nudge with one foot.

"Come on," Adam said. "You're shirtless and covered in glitter and you're in a bar. You're a dancer. Show me."

Kris stood reluctantly and walked to the center of the room before turning back to face Adam.

"Perfect, perfect," Adam said. "Stand right there. I can see your ass in the mirror." Kris rolled his eyes. "Now, dance for me."

Kris had no idea what to do, but he didn't want to fail. If Adam was looking for something, he had to be able to do it. He couldn't imagine saying no. He closed his eyes and remembered watching Adam dance, the way he had moved... but it looked so easy and natural on him and Kris felt ridiculous just imagining himself trying to move like that. Regardless, if that was what Adam was looking for, he at least had to try. He gave his hips a tentative swivel, tried to get his shoulders going to the beat the way Adam did. He focused closely on the music, tried to make his body follow it. He heard a small chuckle and opened his eyes to see Adam with one hand over his mouth to cover his grin.

"Funny?" Kris asked, now standing completely still, trying not to sound as hurt as he felt.

"I'm sorry, no, it's not funny," Adam said, still smiling. "It's just... obvious that you don't do this. It's OK, though, because I can teach you. First, you are remarkably tense for a man who got a backrub, got blown, and then smoked a bowl. Shake it out, baby. Get loose, I'm not going to hurt you."

Kris nodded, sighed and shook his arms out, rolling his head around on his shoulders, bouncing his knees a little.

"Good. OK, next," Adam said, in a sterner voice now. "Remember that dancing is a prelude to fucking," one eyebrow went up. "That's what the whole ritual is about. How do you feel when you're having sex? How do you move? Go to that place, do it standing up and on the beat, and you will be one hell of a dancer. Try it."

Kris considered this advice for a moment, then closed his eyes again. He went back to imagining Adam dancing because, really, there was nothing on earth that would make him feel sexier than that. Unless it was the feeling of kissing Adam, the way his lips could be soft and giving even while taking Kris's breath away with their power. Then again, feeling Adam's hands on his body, coming into his mouth... nothing could be sexier than that, could it? As he ran through these images in his mind, Kris tried not to get distracted from his goal, which was to dance for Adam. To make Adam happy.

He found the beat again and swayed to it. Once he felt comfortable in the rhythm, he started adding little hip pops on every other snare. He threw his head back, imagining Adam's hand on his throat, Adam's tongue in his mouth. He licked his lips, rocking his head side to side. He ran his hands down his body, slowly, slinkily, thinking about the trail of kisses Adam had left there on his way down. When he imagined Adam's mouth finally finding his cock, his pelvis thrusted a little of its own accord. That felt good, so he did it again. Kris's mind was filled with Adam's mouth and Adam's hands as he forgot to focus on the music and found himself moving to it without thinking. After a couple of minutes he was hard as a diamond and breathing heavily, and that's when he realized he hadn't heard any chuckling this time. He opened his eyes.

Adam met his eyes with an intensity that was barely contained.

"Better?" Kris said, still moving.

"Yes," Adam said in a low, husky voice. "You're a natural at this, you know that?"

Adam stood up and walked toward Kris, putting one hand on each of his hips then matching his movements.

"I originally was going to ask you to dance with me," Adam said, leaning down to lick the bite mark on Kris's neck, one hand winding around to rest on Kris's lower back. "But then I thought watching you would be just as good."

"Was it?" Kris said, tilting his head up to give Adam's chin a little bite.

"No," Adam said. "It was painful." When Kris abruptly stopped dancing at this, Adam kept going, swaying to the beat as they had been, encouraging Kris to move with him. "Because you looked so hot I couldn't stand not being able to touch you," he finished.

Kris smiled and let out a relieved sigh, moving closer and allowing himself to be enveloped in Adam's arms as they resumed dancing together. He slipped his hands under the back of Adam's shirt and attempted to match Adam's every thrust and bump, closing his eyes again and letting the feel of Adam's skin, Adam's breath and Adam's body move him. It felt easy and natural now. It felt good. Better than good. Right.

"My time is almost up," Adam said wistfully.

"We could use my turn to keep doing this," Kris said, tilting his head back to look Adam in the face.

"No, I think you should think of something else," Adam said, planting a kiss on Kris's forehead. "Keep this party moving, you know."

"Hmmmm," Kris said. "I don't know, I think I might be out of ideas." Adam laughed.

"Out of ideas already? I think not!" He got more serious then. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"I told you I've brought a lot of guys here."

Kris frowned a little. "Yeah."

"I didn't tell you..." Adam hesitated. "What I didn't tell you is that none of them has ever stayed this long... or talked this much. They have their purpose, you know." Was Adam now blushing a little? "But I don't invite them to hang out here. That's not... I mean, that's not really what I'm after when I bring guys to the dressing room. This is... this is _my_ place."

Kris was quiet for a moment, examining Adam's face. He looked a little bit... scared? Nervous? Kris felt like Adam had just made a big admission, that something important had just happened, and he wasn't sure how to respond. He hated that. He wanted to be able to say the exact right thing to put Adam at ease, the way Adam had put _him_ at ease when he'd been afraid, but he just couldn't come up with it.

"Oh," was all he said.

"Yeah," Adam answered. The song was ending, but they stayed wrapped up together. "There's something else I didn't mention, which I actually have never told anybody before."

"What's that?" Kris said.

"This couch pulls out into a bed." Adam smirked devilishly.

Kris laughed, blushing a little.

"And why is that such a big secret?" he asked.

Adam shrugged. "I don't know, I never really thought about it. Maybe I just never wanted to give guys the idea that they were invited to stay."

"Do you ever sleep here?"

"Sometimes," Adam replied. "I have an apartment of my own, but I don't spend much time there unless I have somebody with me. Once in a while I'll bring a guy there, but usually just friends. It's like my public face or something, I don't know, not really a home. When I'm alone, I usually sleep either here or at Neil's."

"Hmmm," Kris said thoughtfully, staring up into Adam's face. He was so confused by him, but couldn't reconcile that with the fact that he also felt like he _understood_ him on some basic level. It was like every new piece of information surprised Kris just for a moment, before falling perfectly into place with everything else he has learned about Adam and illuminating him that much more. He was beginning to see a portrait of Adam that was beautifully complex, filled with splashes of color that logic states should clash, but instead seem to harmonize into something gorgeous, shocking and heartbreaking all at once. All this after an hour with him. It made Kris's heart ache suddenly, realizing that for all he'd learned so far, there was so much more about Adam that he didn't know.

Suddenly, gently, Adam brought one hand up and brushed it across Kris's cheek, bringing him out of his rumination. Adam knit his brows together as if to say "are you OK?" or "what is it?" and Kris smiled and shook his head.

"So," Kris said. "Are you going to show me the bed, or would that give me the wrong idea?"

"You can see it," Adam said softly. They walked to the couch, threw off the cushions and pulled the bed out together in silence. It was fully made, with coordinating purple sheets and a comforter.

"Pillows?" Kris asked.

"In the closet," Adam said, turning to retrieve them. They were purple, too. Adam threw them on the bed, then turned and looked at Kris with panic on his face. How did Adam come to be the one who was afraid? Kris had hardly stopped to think about the fact that that he was having such strong feelings for somebody he hardly knew - and that the person in question was a man - let alone to be afraid of it. It seemed so easy and natural, not one part of it made him uncomfortable now. Once he got past the initial shock of his feelings, they just seemed to flow through him and fill him with exhilaration and joy. He knew that he really had no idea what tomorrow would bring, or how the rest of the night would play out, or whether Adam would even want to see him again after this, but just _having_ this night with Adam to begin with was an experience he knew he'd never forget, and he was profoundly grateful for it. He felt brand new. And yet Adam, whose confidence had seemed to be a presence all its own before, who was used to being admired and lusted after daily, seemed to be getting less and less sure of himself.

Kris reached out to him and took his hand. "I'd like to use my turn to talk," Kris said. "Is that OK?" Adam nodded, looking oddly dazed. Kris led him to the bed and they lay down, facing each other, on top of the blankets.

"Are you alright?" Kris asked. There was a pause before Adam answered.

"Yes," he said. "I think I am."

"What are you thinking right now?"

"I'm wondering..." Adam began, then trailed off in thought for a moment before starting again. "I'm wondering why I kept the bed a secret for so long," he said. "And I'm wondering why I suddenly wanted to show it to you."

"Coming up with any answers?"

"No, not really," Adam said, chuckling a little. "Except that... except I guess I wanted you to know me."

"That's good," Kris said, reaching out and putting a hand on Adam's hip. "I want to know you, too."

There was that look of panic again.

"Please, Adam," Kris said. "Tell me what you're thinking, you look like you're facing your worst nightmare or something. What is it? Do you want me to go?"

"No!" Adam said, and if Kris thought he had seen him look panicked before, it was nothing compared to this face. "No, no. Don't go. It's not you. I just. I knew what I was doing, earlier. I saw you sitting there gaping at me... I've seen that look enough times to know what it means. I thought I had you pegged; mostly straight, just curious, maybe. I thought, oh, this will be fun. I'd bring you back here, blow your mind, turn your world upside down, get mine, and then send you packing. Half an hour, tops. You were skittish, though. Not my first skittish guy, but generally I either get bored with their nerves and just tell them to go, or I turn the seduction up all the way until they forget to be scared and are practically begging me to fuck them. But you... you were just. Oh, so sweet and so cute. I didn’t want to risk scaring you off. I thought it would pay off in the end, you know? Like I was so attracted to you that putting in some extra time was no big deal, since I had the whole night free and everything... I'd just see what happened. If it worked out, it would be fantastic and if not, oh well, at least I had an interesting project for the night.” He stopped and seemed to get lost in his thoughts. Kris waited out the silence, wanting Adam to finish on his own time.

"I've never wanted anybody to stay before," he finally continued. "I'm usually desperate for them to get out of here before they’re even done cleaning themselves up. So, I don't know. I'm out of my element, I guess. This isn’t my game anymore. I have no idea what's going on right now."

"Are you scared?" Kris asked gently, and Adam startled, remembering asking Kris that same question earlier. He thought about it for a second before answering.

"Yes," Adam said quietly. He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say more, but then closed it again with a defeated look. Both of them were remembering that Kris had said no, he wasn't scared of being with Adam.

"You can ask me questions if you want," Kris murmured. "That's how you made me feel better when I was nervous." He wasn't sure what else to do, what else to offer Adam. He was starting to be afraid that Adam was the deer who was going to bolt.

"Have you ever been in love?" Adam asked, catching Kris off-guard and making his heart hesitate between beats.

"No, I haven't," he answered quickly. "I have dated a few girls, two in a long-term way, and I thought I loved them. But in the end, looking back, I never did. It was like I was playing the part of a person in love, you know?" Adam nodded.

"Girls," he said.

"Does that freak you out?" Kris asked.

"Not really," Adam said, looking down. "I mean, I knew that already.”

"That really doesn't have anything to do with this, though. You know that, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said you pegged me as curious, but mostly straight? I don't even know what that word means anymore. I dated a couple of girls long enough that I started believing they were making me happy, but in the end I wasn't even that upset when we broke up. I don't know, I was just living my life, it never occurred to me that it could be any different. But you. You. You said you wanted to bring me back here, blow my mind, and turn my world upside down? You did that. Now the person I was last Saturday doesn't seem to exist anymore, and I think I like this me better. I can't tell you whether I'm straight or not, I don't know. I don't know if it matters. But don't worry about it, because you... you..." he couldn't find the words to finish. He what? He's _more_ than that? Above it? Kris knew they were both dangerously close to saying things that were grossly inappropriate for a relationship less than two hours old, but he felt it bubbling up anyway. He felt a bit like he was going crazy.

Adam looked like he was in pain. "I don't know what to say," he said.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Kris said. "My five is up. You can do whatever you want."

They just looked at each other for a long moment, Adam still looking like he was fighting some internal battle, almost wincing, his eyes blue and shining. Kris felt helpless again, but not in a good way this time. He tightened his grip on Adam's side and scooted in closer to him.

"What do you want to do?" Kris asked softly.

Adam moved in to nuzzle Kris’s neck, murmuring “I want…” as he grazed his lips just below his ear. Kris sighed and moved his hand up to the back of Adam’s neck, wanting to hold him there, delighting in the feeling of Adam’s lips on his skin. Then, so quietly that for a moment Kris wasn’t sure he was hearing him right, Adam said “I want you to see me.” Kris felt like his heart was breaking.

He pulled away, propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at Adam, who was staring up at him with naked vulnerability on his face. Without speaking, Kris reached down and began lifting Adam’s t-shirt up; Adam sat up just long enough to get it over his head, and Kris threw it on the floor. Without pausing, he moved on to unbutton Adam’s pants, and Adam obligingly lifted his hips so Kris could pull them down and off.

Kris sat beside Adam’s prone body and just looked at him for a moment. He was still covered head-to-toe in glitter – they both were now – but somehow the freckles stood out more to Kris. He had them everywhere, and Kris wanted to see them all. Kris reached out and touched Adam’s face, running his thumb along his lower lip and the few freckles scattered there. Adam was watching Kris’s face intently; Kris was sure he was waiting for some sign that this was too much, that it was more than he was interested in, that he was going to run. Kris was worrying the same thing about Adam.

He moved his hand down Adam’s neck, ran a finger along one collarbone, bringing his other hand up to explore the other side. He moved his palms along Adam’s shoulders, down his arms, then took one of Adam’s hands in each of his. He pulled them up to his face, examined the chipped black polish on each nail, then kissed each fingertip. He looked up at Adam’s face again, wondering if that gesture had been too intimate, but Adam was watching him with pure fascination and wonder.

Kris lay Adam’s hands back on the bed, then put his own on Adam’s chest. He felt the contours with his palms, running them lightly over each pink nipple, slowly moving them down to his abdomen, then outward to feel the sweetly soft skin on Adam’s sides. Adam suddenly jerked.

"Ticklish?” Kris said with a smile.

"Just a little,” Adam said, looking a bit embarrassed.

Kris smirked as he ran his hands down further, over Adam’s hips. He moved himself down the bed so that he could better run his hands down his legs, trying to cover and remember every inch of skin, every freckle, every hair on the way down. When he got to his feet, he gave each a quick rub before suddenly tickling the bottom of one with a wicked grin. Adam giggled and bucked, spreading his legs a little in the process. Kris moved quickly to position himself there, continuing his exploration by running his hand along Adam’s growing erection, wrapping his hand around it, watching his hand all the while, wanting to remember this, too.

He could feel Adam’s heartbeat there, and he could hear Adam’s breath start to accelerate at his touch. Kris felt his heart swell at the knowledge that Adam was at his mercy now, that he had the kind of power over him in this moment that Adam had had over Kris before he had even known that Kris existed. It felt heady and delicious.

Kris leaned down to kiss Adam, laying the whole length of his body over him, leaving his hand between his legs and using the other to cup Adam’s face as he gently lay his lips on his. Adam opened his mouth to him, groaning and pushing up into Kris’s hand. Kris had been intent on taking this slow, on exploring every inch of Adam’s skin and memorizing his reaction to every touch, but the noises Adam was making now combined with the feeling of his body moving beneath him was getting to be too much. He delved his tongue into Adam’s mouth, feeling more and more breathless and wild as Adam bucked up into him.

Kris broke away from their kiss and moved his mouth down to nibble at Adam’s neck, trying to regain control. He wanted to do this right. He wanted Adam to know that he saw him, beyond the glitter and the dancing and all his abundant outward beauty, that this was more.

“What’s your last name?” Kris whispered, his mouth in the hollow at the base of Adam’s throat. He heard Adam’s breath hitch.

“Lambert,” he said in a sigh.

“Mine’s Allen,” Kris said, still moving his hand in a painfully slow stroke up and down Adam’s length.

“Nice to meet you,” Adam said with a broken laugh, sounding like he was about to come undone.

“Likewise,” Kris said before suddenly latching onto Adam’s neck with a fierce sucking bite. Adam gasped.

“What are you… oh, God. Oh, God, Kris,” he moaned as his hips came up off the bed, lifting Kris with him. When they crashed back down together, Kris ran his tongue lightly over the bite before slithering down Adam’s body and taking him into his mouth. Adam shook.

Kris continued moving his fist up and down, now following it with his mouth, swirling and flicking his tongue as he moved. He moaned; he hadn’t expected this to feel so good. He looked up and saw Adam’s hands gripping the sheets, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly, his chest heaving.

“Kris, you don’t have to,” Adam said raggedly. “I’m going to… you don’t…”

“I want it,” Kris said in a rough voice, meeting Adam’s eyes.

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” Adam said in a strangled sob, arching his back. Kris groaned when he felt the first drops hit the back of this throat. Yeah, he had wanted this bad.

“Come here,” Adam said roughly when he was spent. He reached down to Kris, who scrambled up into his arms eagerly. Adam grabbed him and kissed him fiercely, breaking apart only long enough to say “pants,” in a breathless voice. He rolled over onto his side, flipping Kris onto his back in the process, and began fumbling with Kris’s jeans without breaking their kiss. They managed to add Kris’s pants to the pile of clothes on the floor by the bed through teamwork and sheer desperation, and Adam immediately wrapped his hand around Kris’s shaft, pumping it feverishly. Kris thrashed, throwing his head back.

“No,” Adam said. “Look at me. I want to see your face.” Kris turned back and looked at him, his breath fast and shallow, his eyes wild. Adam’s eyes were now steel gray and intense, burning directly into Kris’s as his hand continued to work. Kris thought it was the eyes more than the hand that had him coming with a cry within moments. He kept his eyes locked on Adam’s throughout, and saw the mingled pain and joy that he was feeling reflected back at him.

When it was over Kris rolled over into Adam’s arms. The men held onto each other in silence for a long moment, feeling each others’ heartbeats gradually slow and their shuddering lessen and finally stop.

“There’s one more thing I want to see before your turn is up,” Kris said finally.

Adam laughed. “I think my five minutes are long gone, honey.”

“Still,” Kris said, propping himself up on an elbow and reaching his other hand up to bury it in Adam’s hair. “I’m not done looking yet.” He ran his fingers through the sticky gelled mess gently, pulling it down from what was left of the pompadour shape. He draped it down over Adam’s eye as it had been his first night at The Park, finding the colored streak.

“Ah, it’s blue,” Kris said with a satisfied sigh, and Adam laughed again. Kris relaxed back into his spot at Adam’s shoulder, draping an arm across his chest.

“Has that been bothering you?” Adam asked with a lazy smile.

“Yes,” Kris said. “But my curiosity is satisfied now.” Adam’s smile fell.

“Uh oh. I hope I still have enough mystery to keep you interested.” Kris burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Asked Adam.

"You are," Kris replied, still snickering. "I think there are probably a few more things left to learn about you, so stop pouting because I decoded the super-secret mystery of your hair streak."

"I wasn't pouting."

"No? Tell that to your bottom lip," Kris said, playfully poking at Adam's mouth. Adam gave up and laughed, taking a snap at Kris's finger and missing.

"OK, then," Adam said. "It's your turn now, so feel free to try to unravel my mystique even more."

Kris was running his hand up and down Adam's belly now, connecting the freckles, being careful to avoid the ticklish spot on the side. "OK," he said after a moment of thought. "Have you ever been in love?"

Adam sighed. "Yes... sort of. It's hard to explain."

Kris angled his head back to look at Adam's face; he was looking thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "Can you try?" Kris said.

"Well, there was this guy I was friends with, back at school..."

"College?"

"High school. I didn't bother with college. Anyway, he was a good friend of mine, we were in chorus together... he had a really beautiful voice. We just... clicked, you know? I liked being with him, he liked being with me. I tried really hard not to... I mean, I wanted to keep him as a friend. I knew he was straight. He had a girlfriend, in fact, who he later ended up marrying. But it got hard. It got really, really hard." He stopped, still staring at the ceiling.

"What happened?"

"One day I realized that I felt more for him than I should. Or than I had allowed myself to realize, I guess. He was getting ready to go away to college with his girlfriend, I was just looking forward to finishing school and doing whatever I wanted, really, and one day I just... I thought about him going away, and it felt like I was dying. I mean, it's not like I didn't know I was attracted to him, but it had kind of always felt to me like, this guy is great, I love being with him, and he's also hot. But he was my friend, you know... it was manageable. That wasn't what it was _about_. But then on THIS day, it occurred to me that he was an awesome guy, my best friend, and also hot, and I wanted him to be mine. It's not like I didn't know he couldn't be, and it's not like anything really changed, it just... it started hurting. And we'd hang out, and I'd feel the end coming... I'd think about the fact that we were going to drift apart, he was going to get married, and I was never going to get to kiss him. It... I don't know. It just wasn't manageable anymore."

Kris propped himself up to get a better view of Adam's face, leaving one hand on Adam's chest as he rested his head on the other. "What did you do?"

"The stupidest thing possible," Adam said with a sour laugh. "I told him. I don't know why... I didn't even plan it, it just came out one night, just a few days before graduation. We'd been drinking, though. It kind of slipped out."

"What did you say?"

"We were talking about living on our own, how cool that would be. Big dreams, you know. He was joking with me about how much ass I was going to get when I wasn't living at home anymore. He was always really cool about that stuff, too. I even used to tell him how hot I thought he was, and he would just thank me for the compliment... he was never weird about it. Anyway, I told him I didn't think I was going to be in the mood to get any once he was gone, and he looked at me kind of funny, not getting how those two things were connected. I should've stopped there, let him think I was just babbling or whatever, but I couldn't shut up. I said, 'you're the only one I want.'" Adam sighed and turned to look at Kris, who was looking down at him with his brow furrowed in concern and sympathy.

"He took it OK," Adam continued. "Considering. We didn't fight about it or anything, but he was definitely not interested. He backed away from me after that, got really distant really fast. I could've... I mean, I wanted to still be friends with him. I didn't _want_ him to cut me off, but I think he thought he was doing me a favor. I don't know. God, that fucking sucked."

"I'm sorry," Kris said, the words completely inadequate to describe what he was feeling.

"The last time I saw him, it was August, he was just getting ready to leave for school," Adam continued, on a roll now, getting more agitated. "I showed up at his house. He wouldn't answer my calls... but I wanted to force him to face me. I wanted to try to talk him into at least keeping in touch with me. Like, if we could email or something I could show him I was still _me_ , that I was a friend, that he didn't have to leave me behind completely, you know? He was so cold to me, though. Like, determined, I guess. Maybe he did kind of want to keep me in his life, but he had made his choice and stuck by it. But the look he gave me, right before I left, it was like... pity. He looked at me with _pity_. And then I saw myself standing there, having come to beg him for whatever scrap of attention he would spare me... how he'd completely rejected me, and how unimaginably _pathetic_ that was and I _hated_ myself, and I hated him. And the really fucked up part is I kept on missing him after that. After I'd humiliated myself... he left without a second thought, and there my pathetic ass was wishing I could talk to him, hating myself for ruining what we had, and just... _missing_ him." Adam stopped, arching his eyebrows and throwing his hands up as if to say "what the fuck is that about?" and then sighed, exasperated. His lips made a tight line as he shook his head and sat up cross-legged on the bed, moving his pillow into the hollow between his legs. Kris followed him, sitting up himself, facing Adam.

"Are you OK?" Kris said. Adam appeared to be fuming.

"I hadn't thought about that in a long time," Adam said. "It really pisses me off."

"Why?"

"I didn't ask for much from him. I didn't. And I was no threat to him either. He knew me. I mean, I thought he knew me... after all those years, shouldn't he have? He just threw it away, all of it. Me. I couldn't... I couldn't stand it. I hated him, but I couldn't stop loving him. That fucking bastard." He sighed. "But mostly... it makes me hate myself. I just get so angry, thinking about the way I laid myself out there. It was like I was asking for it. I could've let it go, but I presented my chin and told him to hit me again. Ugh."

Kris reached out and put his hand on Adam's neck; Adam leaned into the touch, his angry lines mellowing to an expression of confused sadness. Kris searched for something to say.

"Think of it like this," he said, finally. "If he had said yes, on that last day, the whole story would be different. It didn't work out, but you had to know for sure. I think you have to take risks. You did the right thing. Someday you'll give somebody the opportunity to hurt you, and they won't take it. Then it'll be worth it."

Adam tilted his head up, away from Kris's hand, a lopsided smile on his face. Kris dropped his hand into his lap slowly.

"Well," Adam said. "I haven't really given anybody another opportunity. I'm not really interested in going through all _that_ again, thanks."

Kris nodded. "I get it. That's what all this is about. The glitter, the dancing, the dressing room game."

"What do you mean?"

"Keeping yourself protected. You make people want you, but you never have to give them anything of yourself in return."

"I give them plenty. Trust me."

"Such as?"

"This is my life, OK? I dance because I love it, because it gets me off, and because I _have_ to. It's who I am. These guys coming in here to gawk at me get everything I have."

"None of that is _real_. It's a show. You're just a piece of meat to them. Is that all you want?"

"I'm a fantasy who, for some of them, gets to come true. I consider it pretty fucking generous of me."

"Oh, sure. You're a saint. Meanwhile, you didn't answer my question. Don't you want somebody to know the real you?" Kris reached up a hand, wanting to touch him again, but dropped it again when he saw the look on Adam's face. Fury.

"What do you know about the real me?" Adam spat.

"I guess nothing," Kris said, looking down, and Adam didn't answer. Kris was scared to look up. A long moment passed before Adam finally sighed, and Kris tilted his head up just enough to peek at Adam's expression. He had been trying to find a way to ask "do you want me to go?" but couldn't get his mouth to let the words out, afraid of the answer.

"I'm sorry," Adam said quietly. Kris looked up and saw Adam's face open, the rage seemingly gone. "You're right. Of course. It wouldn't have pissed me off so much if it weren't so right on." He smirked; the expression was somehow sad.

"It's OK," Kris said. "I mean, I'm sorry too. I guess. Were we fighting?"

"Sort of, I think," Adam said.

"Wow."

"On the bright side," Adam said. "The fighting turn is now over and, assuming you're OK with moving away from this for now... I mean, are we cool? I'm sorry for snapping at you."

Kris smiled. "We're cool."

"OK," Adam said, a relieved smile on his face. "Then that means it's on to my turn, and I am choosing naked cuddle-time turn, part two. Electric Boogaloo."

Kris chuckled, immediately stretching out to lay on the bed.

"Under the covers please," Adam said, snuggling in. Kris joined him quickly, then moved in to snuggle into the crook of Adam's shoulder, his arm draped across his chest. His fingers trailed up to the bite mark now blooming into brilliant reds and purples at the base of Adam's neck.

"Wow," Kris breathed. "Sorry about this. I guess I bit you harder than I thought." Kris shook with Adam's chest when he laughed.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "I like it."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do. It kind of surprised me... I'm not used to guys marking me, usually I'm the one staking claims," he laughed again. "A lot of firsts for me tonight I guess."

"Me too," Kris said, moving up to kiss Adam softly. Adam rolled over to face him, and they lay there, lazily kissing, for several moments.

"I don't want you to go," Adam said suddenly, startling Kris.

"I'm not going anywhere," Kris said, confused. They were nose-to-nose, and he was frustrated at not being able to see Adam's face better. He sensed panic creeping in again, but something else, too. Adam's jaw was set. What was that? Resolve?

"No, I know. I mean, I was just thinking about some of the stuff I said and I don't want you to think... I mean, OK, I'm freaking out a little bit. But I don't want you to think... I want you to know that it doesn't mean I don't like you. I'm just... I think I'm ready to freak out. It feels good to... to take a risk."

Kris grinned, pulling Adam into a deep kiss. "Good," he said when he surfaced. He wanted to say more, but in the end could only manage "good," again and again.

This time they didn't stop kissing. Kris's hands explored Adam's back while Adam's fingers delved into Kris's hair; they took turns nibbling at each others' lips, tongues flicking and teasing and Kris thought _he was right, this is way better than doing this on the floor._

Kris lost track of the passage of time and didn't remember ever stopping kissing Adam, but suddenly his eyes opened and it was dark and still all around him. He smelled a faint smokiness in the air and thought of the candle; it must have burned out. It was a relief to have this sensory clue that he was still in Adam's dressing room; the moment his eyes had opened he'd been struck with the fear that it had been a dream and he was in his own bed at home. He reached out gingerly, looking for Adam with his fingers, and exhaled in relief when his hand met his warm shape in the dark. Kris rolled toward it, cuddling into Adam's back, one arm draping around his waist.

"You fell asleep," Adam said sleepily.

"Sorry," Kris whispered.

"S'OK," Adam answered. "Was adorable. Do a better job keeping you awake next time."

"I'll look forward to it," Kris said, smiling. He kissed the back of Adam's neck, then focused on the sound of his breathing. Slow and even; Kris guessed he was sleeping again already. And in a moment, Kris was too.

 

 **~*~**

 

"Christ on a cracker."

The voice sounded vaguely familiar to Kris, but as he was exceedingly comfortable and enjoying a very pleasant night's sleep, he chose to ignore it and hope it would go away over actually investigating who it was and what they meant by "Christ on a cracker." Then Adam spoke, and Kris was simultaneously thrilled to find that he was _still_ here and irritated at now having to admit he was awake and deal with whatever was happening.

"Oh, hi," Adam said. Kris opened one eye and looked up from his position on Adam's chest to see Neil standing in the open doorway.

" _Hi_ ," Neil said, all flabbergasted sarcasm. "Really, Adam? The straight guy?"

"Yeah," Adam said.

"In bed,"

"Yeah, in bed." Adam smiled.

"Uh, if I may," Kris jumped in. "It's possible that I'm not 100% straight. We're looking into it." Adam burst out in delirious laughter, shaking Kris and the bed with him. Neil threw his hands up.

"Ah, and I see you've got a gigantic hickey on your neck. Very nice. It'll be gone by Monday, I assume?"

"You dance on Mondays?" Kris asked.

"Yes, I do," Adam answered, laying a hand gently on Kris's cheek, then turned back to Neil. "I don't know, Neil. I don't particularly care. And it's not a hickey, it's a _bite_."

"Great. OK," Neil said, now appearing less flustered and more intrigued, like he was witnessing something truly unexpected. "Do you guys feel like getting breakfast or something? It's just about 10:00."

Kris propped himself up to look at Adam, and they both smiled.

"I could eat," Kris said. "But I think we're going to need a shower first."

 ****

~*~

 **The End**


End file.
